President Bola Tinubu has asked the House of Representatives to approve a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for the establishment of state police, marking a major step in the Federal Government’s efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system.
The proposal, contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, was transmitted to the National Assembly in a letter dated June 15, 2026, and read during Tuesday’s plenary by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
In the letter, Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the bill accelerated consideration, describing it as a key pillar of his administration’s security reforms.
The President said the proposed legislation seeks to create “a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services” to strengthen Nigeria’s response to growing security challenges.
According to Tinubu, the bill builds on earlier work already undertaken by the House of Representatives while introducing additional safeguards to ensure the effective operation of a dual policing structure.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” the President stated.
Tinubu described the amendment as a critical component of his administration’s strategy to reorganise the country’s security architecture and expressed confidence that lawmakers would act swiftly on the proposal.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I am confident that the House of Representatives will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he added.
If passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and ratified by at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, the amendment would establish a dual policing framework, enabling both the Federal Government and state governments to operate constitutionally recognised police services.
The push for state police has remained one of Nigeria’s most debated constitutional reform issues for more than two decades, as successive administrations, governors and security experts have argued that the country’s centralised policing system has become overstretched by rising cases of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other violent crimes.
In recent years, several state-backed security outfits, including Amotekun in the South-West and Ebube Agu in parts of the South-East, have emerged to complement federal security agencies.
While supporters argue that state police would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve response times and deepen community policing, critics have consistently warned that governors could abuse state-controlled police for political purposes.
The latest amendment bill is expected to trigger fresh debate over the structure, funding, oversight, operational independence and constitutional safeguards for state police as lawmakers begin deliberations on the proposal.
